Mrs. Sarah JAMES and old Dunkard Cemetery

JAMES, BRIMM, BUSH, ELLMAKER, LONG

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/8/2006 at 07:52:20

"Fairfield Tribune", Oct. 16, 1889

ALL ABOUT BATAVIA. Mrs. Sarah JAMES and her husband built a claim cabin a mile farther west in the fall of 1838, and returned to Burlington to winter. There Mr. JAMES died; but his brave wife, undaunted, returned to the claim, improved her land, and raised her family. She was an English woman, and had some means. Her son John was the second person buried in "Brown's Grave-Yard", and his tombstone, the first, tells the date, March 3, 1842.

Mrs. William BRIMM was the first, the ground, a high knoll on the JAMES claim having been selected by a conference of the neighbors at the time of her death, February, 1842, three weeks before young JAMES' death. David BUSH filled the third grave, and Reuben ELLMAKER helped dig all three of them.

Mrs. Thomas LONG, living just southeast of Batavia, is a daughter (sic - daughter-in-law) of Mrs. JAMES, and it was with her that this vigorous pioneer woman passed her last days and passed away peacefully several years ago.

[Also posted to the Des Moines and Wapello Counties' Documents boards]

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.